Andy's Big Commission

by jake60

Desc: Erotica Sex Story: Be forewarned: there isn't a lot of sex in this story. It is one couple's story; how a situation grows out of control, and how cheating and revenge affects them.

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He knew he had the sale made at least a half an hour before he finished his presentation. The tip off was the whispered exchange between John Simmons, the President of GPC Hotels, and Brad Clark, the Vice President in Charge of Operations, after which they both smiled and then watched the rest of the presentation in a very relaxed state. The only question he had now was how big the order would be. He could only hope they would go for the full proposal.

There were five of them in the boardroom, including the two older executives. Brenda Crocker and David Petty, both 20-something junior clerks from the purchasing department, had joined 30 year old Andy Carlson in his sales presentation to the two decision makers. Andy was making his presentation using PowerPoint on his laptop, projected onto a screen at the end of the boardroom. He also had a working Model 6X6 defibrillator to demonstrate to them.

Feeling that the need to sell them on his proposal was over, Andy relaxed as well, and the sections of the presentation covering optional equipment, after sales service and warranty coverage seemed to flash by. When he had finished both John and Brad stood and applauded him, saying his presentation had been remarkably well done, and they were prepared to discuss purchasing the portable defibrillator equipment for all of their properties.

One of Andy's selling points had been the potential to market the fact that they had defibrillators on hand, in case of a heart emergency in one of the exercise areas, swimming pools, or even in a restaurant or bar. Knowing that a lot of their clientele were executives and business travelers who appreciated these kinds of perks helped him as well. The crowning touch had been the cooperation of Brenda and David from the hotel chain's own Purchasing Department.

The two of them had volunteered to be Andy's guinea pigs when it came time to demonstrate the ease of use of the equipment. David Petty became the patient, the apparent victim of a heart attack, slumped in one of the boardroom chairs. Brenda Crocker was the hotel employee who came to his rescue with the defibrillator. The ease with which Brenda was able to read the instructions and connect the machine to David, and then ascertain that he was not in need of a shock to restart his heart was impressive. Relocating the two sensors to a section of the boardroom table to show that it indeed lacked a heart beat and was in dire need of a shock provided a bit of humor, but demonstrated the point that was intended.

The five of them chatted amicably about the equipment for about 15 minutes until the two executives announced that they had another appointment coming up, but that they wanted purchasing to acquire one of the units for each property, plus an additional unit for those hotels whose exercise areas were large enough to sell public memberships. A quick mental calculation by Andy told him that the decision for the extra units would be generating an additional $1500 in commissions for him. It was hard not to grin when he heard that news.

The moment that the door closed behind the two executives, Brenda and David each grabbed Andy's hand to shake it in congratulation.

"I'm so glad they chose to go ahead with this," gushed Brenda. "My grandfather and one of my uncles both died of heart attacks, and I'm sure your machine may have saved them if it had been available then." She let go of his hand and gave him a quick hug.

"Good job, Andy. You had me sold a month ago when you came by the first time. I'm just glad we were able to get the bosses to see your presentation. Your product practically sold itself I think," said David as he continued to shake Andy's hand.

"I just want to thank the two of you for your encouragement and your assistance. This will be a very big order for me, and I appreciate all of your help." Andy was smiling broadly as he had returned Brenda's hug and their handshakes.

The three of them returned to the purchasing department where all of the necessary purchase orders and contracts were signed. In less than an hour all of the paperwork was safely in Andy's briefcase, and he was beginning to relax. He excused himself to visit the men's room, but before he left it to return to the purchasing office he decided to call his wife, Kathy. It was just after 4 p.m. and she should be at home by this time. Her normal hours as a legal secretary were from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

His home phone went unanswered, though, so Andy decided to leave her a message. "Hi, honey. I'm just calling to let you know that I've had a really good day. I'm going to drive back in the morning, and I should be home by supper time. I still have a couple of calls to make on the return drive. Love you."

Andy could barely believe that his largest ever contract had actually been signed. This sale was for over $250, 000, and even though he had had to give price breaks that would eat away at his commission percentage, he still stood to make close to $15,000 in commissions. With this money in the bank he knew he would be able to get Kathy interested once again in starting their family. Her only objection to getting pregnant had been their lack of a financial safety cushion in the bank. This commission would satisfy that problem in spades.

After returning to the purchasing department, Andy got Brenda and David to join him in the break room. They had been very encouraging and helpful to him, and he wanted to reward them both. He didn't really want to include the whole office, so once he had them away from their coworkers, he said, "I really owe the two of you a lot for your help with this contract. Can I take you both out for supper tonight? Would that be all right?"

Brenda and David exchanged glances, and Brenda said, "I'd love to join you, Andy. How about you, David?"

"I'll have to call my wife first and see if she minds. If she's OK with it, I'd be happy to join you." David left the group to make his phone call to his wife, and as he left, Brenda put her arms on Andy's shoulders and gave him another quick congratulatory embrace.

She quickly stepped back, but not before Andy had noticed the firmness of her breasts as they pressed against his chest. If he wasn't married he'd be interested in trying to get to know Brenda better. She was in her mid-twenties, almost exactly his height, 5'10", with long dark blond hair, green eyes, and a very cute face. He was usually no good at estimating women's measurements, but guessed she had a 38, 28, 38 figure. He certainly knew she looked very attractive in her white blouse and dark skirt. While her clothes weren't revealing, they were styled to accentuate her best attributes, her ample chest and her shapely ass.

David was back in a moment, smiling as he said, "My wife says I should enjoy myself and have a nice supper. She's going to go over and visit her mother, and she'll have supper with her. So, where should we go?"

"I'm staying at your local hotel, so how about we meet in the dining room there at 5:30. Would that be OK? I have a couple of calls to make once I get back to my room, and I'd like to freshen up."

5:30 was good for both Brenda and David, so they parted with the agreement to meet each other then. Andy headed back to his hotel room, where he confirmed his appointments for the next day and then called home again. Once again his call went unanswered, but this time he didn't leave a message. Instead, he called his wife's cell phone, only to be informed that it was not in service at that time. Sometimes he wondered why she even had one, considering that she rarely had it turned on when he needed to contact her.

Andy was the first to arrive at the dining room, and quickly arranged for a quiet table for the three of them. In just a couple of minutes both Brenda and David arrived to join him, and they headed for his reserved table. Brenda sat beside Andy, and David took a seat across from him. All three of them ordered a before dinner drink and sat there enjoying each others' company. Andy made a point of thanking them again for their assistance with his sale, and together they toasted his success.

They had a leisurely meal, complete with a couple of glasses of wine each, and soon it was eight o'clock. All three of them were feeling a bit of effect from the drinks they had shared, and after completing their meal with light desserts, they decided to move to the bar for a while. In the bar they selected a booth that was available not too far from the dance floor, and Brenda sat on one side, quickly dragging Andy in to sit beside her.

He noticed that she slid over right beside him once he had sat down, but didn't really mind. Before she had joined them at the dining room, she had obviously made use of her time to make a trip home to change into a sleek black dress, one that discreetly showed a bit of cleavage. It was nice to be sitting beside the best looking women in the bar. Even though he wasn't entertaining any ideas of pursuing Brenda, the company of a beautiful woman was not something he could turn down. He noticed David sneaking glances at her from across the booth, and he wondered if David had ever seen Brenda outside of the office before. The dress was much more attractive on her then the office attire she had been wearing earlier. He had never noticed David paying much attention to her before.

They had been sitting in the booth for about half an hour when the music started. With the start of the first song, David said, "Come on, Brenda. Let's have this dance. We have worked together for two years, and I have never met you outside of the office. I'm going to have to leave soon, so how about it?" He smiled at her, and reached across the table to take her hand. Andy slid out of his seat to let the two of them head for the small dance floor, where they joined several other couples.

As the two of them danced, Andy had a literal ringside seat to watch them. He couldn't help but notice how fluidly Brenda danced, seeming to flow with the music. David wasn't an experience dancer, and it showed. As he watched, Andy couldn't help but compare Brenda to his wife, Kathy. Kathy was about 5'6" tall, and much more petite. Her short dark hair was another major difference between them, and she was not nearly as generously endowed in the chest area. Not that he minded at all; he always told her that more than a mouthful was a waste. Andy knew she felt cheated in that department, but he always told her that the sensitivity of her nipples more than made up for the size of her breasts.

While Brenda and David danced, Andy tried calling his wife again. Once again there was no answer at his house or on her cell, and he wondered to himself where she could be. His thoughts were interrupted by the return of the dancers, and he stood to allow Brenda into her seat.

"That was great, Brenda," David said. "I'm going to have to invite you over to teach my wife and me how to dance properly. Neither of us is very good at it. Speaking of my wife, I had better get home before she comes looking for me." He laughed, and reached for his drink. There were only a few drops in the bottom of the glass, and when they were drained David stood and said, "I'm leaving before I change my mind. I'll see you tomorrow, Brenda. Good luck with your clients tomorrow, Andy. You're a good salesman, so I'm sure you're going to do well with them."

He laughed as Brenda and Andy told him to drive carefully. "I just live three blocks away, so I walked. You two behave yourselves." Both Andy and Brenda laughed, and before David walked away, Andy slid from his seat and moved to the opposite side of the table to sit across from Brenda.

"See, nothing to worry about, David. I'm a happily married man, and while I know it's going to be hard to do, I shall resist Brenda's charms." He laughed again, and Brenda joined him in laughter after sticking her tongue out at him. Together they waved goodbye to David as he departed.

Brenda looked across the table at Andy and said, "So, you don't think I'm irresistible?" She was smiling as she said it, and Andy hesitated before replying.

"If I was single, I'd still be sitting over on that side of the booth. But, I'm not. I would like to have a dance with you, though. You are a good dancer, and while I know I'm not in your league, I do enjoy a nice slow dance." The band had just started another set of slow songs, so Andy extended his hand to her, and together they went to the dance floor.

Their dance was everything that Andy had hoped it would be, and he could not get over how good a dancer Brenda was. She seemed to flow with the music in a truly sensual way, as she held herself against him. As hard as he tried to think of other things, especially of his wife Kathy, he was unable to ignore the pressure of her breasts. For the most part he was able to keep himself from pressing too closely against Brenda as they danced, but there were a couple of times she pulled him closer. Finally the set was over, and he suggested that they take their seats again.

"That was really great, Brenda. You're definitely one of the best dancers I've ever had the pleasure of being with. I'm sure I was the envy of all of the other guys here."

Brenda blushed, and said, "Thank you. I do have a confession though. I studied dance for eight years. I think I'd be a little disappointed if you didn't see some effect from all those lessons," she laughed.

"Well, that certainly explains a lot. You're probably able to see all kinds of things wrong in the way I dance," he laughed. "That's almost not fair to us poor guys. I bet you could make all of us look pretty foolish out there, if you put your mind to it."

"I wouldn't do that to you, Andy. That wouldn't be nice, and I like you." She looked at him over her glass as she finished her drink.

Andy placed another order for drinks, and for the next two hours they continued to drink, dance, talk, and laugh together. It was approaching midnight when Andy realized that he'd had a couple more drinks then he probably should have. Since he had to leave in the morning for his drive home, he decided he had better call it a night.

"Well, Brenda, I think I'm going to have to put an end to this evening. It's getting late. I hope you don't mind, and I don't want you to think I haven't enjoyed myself immensely. You're great company and amazing on the dance floor."

"Thank you, and you're right, it is getting late." Brenda stood at the end of the booth and waited for Andy to take her arm and escort her from the lounge. Since they had finished their drinks, and Andy had already taken care of the tab, they were able to leave without delay.

As they walked across the lobby, Brenda said, "Do you have a minibar in your room? I wouldn't mind one last drink, before I call a taxi. If you don't mind, that is."

Andy hesitated noticeably, before replying, "That would be okay I guess. I think I saw some coolers and half liter bottles of wine in the fridge there. We will have to make it a quick one though. I have to drive back almost to Indianapolis tomorrow, plus see two clients on the way."

"We could split a cooler if you like. Just something for the road; I guess I should say, for the taxi," she laughed. "Don't feel that I'm worried about going to your room with you. I trust you."

Andy looked at her quickly, and said, "I never even thought about whether you would need to be concerned about that. Rest assured that I'll be on my best behavior."

The two of them crossed the lobby to the elevator bank and were soon on their way to Andy's room on the second floor. Once they were inside Andy crossed over to the minibar and knelt to check through its contents. He pulled out a Raspberry Cooler, and asked Brenda, "Would this be all right?"

He was holding it up as he stood and turned to show it to Brenda, and almost dropped it as he got his first look at her. She was seated on the side of the band, wearing only her black bra and panties. Her dress lay across the arm of the chair at the end of the bed.

"How about we just forget about having a drink, Andy. I can think of a much more pleasurable way of spending our time." Brenda was smiling at him, and as she spoke she stood and walked towards him.

Andy's first thought was to tell her, 'No, I can't. I'm married to Kathy, ' but the words never left his lips. Instead, he stood wordless, and watched as she came towards him. He couldn't believe how good she looked. Her large breasts were barely enclosed by a filmy, black lace bra, and it was easy to see, through the almost transparent panties that she wore, that her pussy was bare beneath them. A small rose tattoo adorned her skin just above her pussy, clearly visible through the fabric. He set the cooler on the bar beside him without looking as he did it, thoroughly engrossed in absorbing every detail of her body.

As her last step brought her to him, he raised his gaze to her eyes, and saw again just how beautiful a woman she was. Her arms went around his neck, and then they were kissing. His hands went around to her back, and were soon roaming from her neck to her firm, panty covered ass. In less than five minutes of frantic kissing, caressing, and fumbling, Brenda's bra lay on the floor along with Andy's shirt, pants, socks and shoes. It was sometime during those three minutes that Andy had his last thought of Kathy, and what she would think of what was happening.

With most of their clothing in a heap on the floor, Andy and Brenda stumbled to the bed and fell on it. To this point no words had been said by either one of them. Now, lying on the bed beside her, Andy raised his head from her lips and turned to allow himself to begin trailing kisses down her neck towards her breasts. This was the first clear look he had had of them, and he really liked what he saw. Even with Brenda lying on her back they stood proudly, her nipples engorged and hard to ignore; he didn't ignore them. He began sucking and nipping at them, caressing one breast with his hand and the other with his lips.

"Oh, God yes! Just like that. Harder," Brenda said, as Andy attended to her breasts and nipples. While he alternated from breast to breast, Brenda encouraged him with her instructions and the frantic movement of her hands, helping to pull his head from one nipple to the other.

A few minutes later, Andy shifted beside her, and began trailing his kisses further down, across her stomach, towards her rose tattoo. When his lips reached the waistband of her panties, he shifted himself so that he could begin to pull them down. Brenda raised her hips and parted her legs further, making it easier for him. Slowly, the rose tattoo and then her pussy itself were uncovered to him. He could see now that there was a slight strip of blondish hair above her slit, and he noticed that the crotch of her panties was soaked through and stuck to her.

As the panties came free he raised his eyes to Brenda's, and could see the lust in her face. Her eyes were hooded, the eyelids half closed, and her mouth lay open as she breathed deeply. He reached over and pulled the wisp of fabric off of her left foot, and left it hanging from her right ankle. He stood for just a moment and removed his shorts before returning to kneel between her knees. She raised her knees upward and outward, opening herself to him, and he responded by bringing his lips to her inner thigh.

As he moved closer to her lips, he could see the moisture on them, and began to notice her scent. He realized it was different than Kathy's, and the image of his wife's pussy flashed across his mind. A feeling of regret was also there for a fleeting moment, but it disappeared as his lips reached their destination. He used his tongue now, as well as his lips, and was getting a reaction from Brenda as she began to move her hips. As he worked his way up to her clit, she began to encourage him, pulling and pushing on his head to direct him. She was moaning now, and her hips began to thrash about as her climax neared.

"Oh yes! Right there! Stop. No! Don't stop! This way, no, right there! Oh, yes, right there. Oh, yesssss!" Her legs closed around his head, and she held him in place with handfuls of his hair as she came. She gave him just enough freedom to move that he was able to get some air, which was a good thing as her climax carried on for almost a minute. She finally released him and said, "God, that was wonderful!"

Andy was able to crawl up beside her, and leaned over to kiss her deeply. His hands found her breasts and she soon broke their kiss to say, "It's your turn now. That was everything I had hoped it would be. I've been dreaming of that since the first time you called at our office. Come on, let's get more comfortable"

Brenda sat up, and both of them turned so that Andy could lie with his head on the pillow. She was kneeling beside him now, and he reached up to hold her generous breasts. They were so different to Kathy's. It had been years since he had held breasts this size and he had to admit that he found them exciting. A moment later he had his attention distracted, as Brenda swung her leg across his hips, and straddled him. She raised her hips, and as he watched, she reached down and grabbed his erect cock and slowly moved the head of it along her slit, back and forth, as she coated it with her essence.

"Pinch my nipples, Andy. I like it when you pinch them." Brenda was grinning down at him, and he could feel her nipples harden as he did her bidding. She leaned forward so that he could take one of her nipples in his mouth while he pinched and twisted the other one gently with his fingers.

She leaned further forward, until his cock lined up perfectly with her opening. She was teasing him now, pushing slightly against him, letting the head of his cock began to penetrate her vagina before she would move forward slightly, breaking the connection. Soon he began trying to lift his hips, attempting to drive himself into her. Finally he said, "No more teasing, let me put it in."

This time, when he tried to lift his hips she moved hers back, working with him this time and letting him bury his cock completely into her. The sensation was terrific; hot, wet and tight, and he kept driving his hips up until their pubic bones met. He held himself there, completely within her, and they both groaned in pleasure. After some seconds he slowly lowered his hips to the bed, letting himself come almost completely out of her.

At this point Brenda began to slowly rock herself, forward and back, fucking him gently. She was moving to let him enter her from one extreme to the other, from fully within her, to barely maintaining the head of his cock between her lips. Andy was busy with her breasts, squeezing, pinching and nibbling on them.

They were both speaking now, but the words were common to both of them. "Oh! Feels so good. Faster. Harder. Just like that. Oh, God!"

Brenda was moving much faster now, raising and lowering herself on his shaft, while Andy was holding her by the breasts and driving his hips up to meet her downward thrusts. Their mutual orgasms were building to the point that neither of them could hear the door to Andy's hotel room unlock and open.

It was at the precise time that Andy lost the ability to hold back his ejaculation that Brenda exclaimed, "I'm coming! Oh God, that's so good!"

His first shot of semen was just hitting her cervix when he heard, "Andy! What..."

His eyes flashed open and he looked to the right, towards the sound of his wife's voice. He could see the shock on her face as his second stream of semen pumped its way into Brenda.

"You bastard! You son of a bitch!" Kathy was shifting from shock to rage, and Brenda had by this time looked over her shoulder at Kathy. She began to pull herself off of Andy's hard cock, and within just a second or two, had moved beside him, facing directly towards Kathy.

In spite of his shock, and the horror of realizing that his wife was standing there while he was fucking Brenda, he couldn't control his ejaculation, and a stream of semen spouted a foot into the air before falling back to his stomach. He began to sit up; trying to get to his wife, wanting to hold her and tell her everything would be all right. As he began to move though, she began to swing the overnight bag she held in her right hand.

Just as Andy approached the point of standing erect, Kathy let go of the bag and it crossed the short distance to him, striking him squarely in the chest. Because he hadn't gained a balanced footing, the weight of the bag hitting him knocked him back, making him lose his balance and fall. It was his unfortunate luck that the bedside table was in exactly the wrong position, and he struck his head a glancing blow as he fell.

While Andy was falling, Brenda was screaming and jumping back away from the bed. She needn't have feared anything though, for as soon as Kathy let go of the bag, she wheeled around and rushed out of the door. As the automatic door closer slowly shut the motel room door, the sound of the stairway door opening and closing could be heard. In just a couple of seconds it was all over, and the room became silent.

It was almost 6 a.m. when Andy awoke, a sharp pain noticeable in the back of his head. He opened his eyes, looked around as best he could, but couldn't understand where he was. There was movement to his right, and in a moment, Brenda appeared within his field of vision.

"What ... where am I? What happened? Kathy! Where's Kathy? I have to talk to her. Where is she?" Andy was trying to turn his head further, hoping to draw a glimpse of his wife.

"You're in the hospital, Andy. You hit your head, and you were bleeding. I called the ambulance to come for you because I couldn't wake you up." Brenda was concerned about him, and the concern was obvious on her face.

"Bleeding ... why ... how did I get cut?" Andy was confused, wondering why he couldn't remember being cut. "Kathy, where's Kathy?"

"I don't know where she went, I didn't see her again after you fell and hit your head. She threw her overnight bag at you, and it knocked you down. Your head struck the nightstand beside the bed, and it gave you a nine stitch cut to the back of your head. They did a scan, and there's no fracture. They think it was just a bruise and a cut. You could have a mild concussion, though."

"I have to call her; do you know where my cell phone is?" Andy was looking around at the bedside table, trying to locate his phone. He knew he had to call Kathy; he had to try and tell her he loved her.

Brenda walked out of his sight for a moment, and returned with his cell phone. "Here it is, Andy. After they brought you in I went back to the hotel and packed your things. They're all here in the room with you, your briefcase, your personal items, your clothing and your suitcase. I even checked you out and brought your car here. I asked them if there would be a charge for cleaning the blood from the carpeting, but they said that that would be looked after by their cleaning staff. I hope you don't mind that I did that. They told me you would be out for a couple of hours after the shot they gave you, so I went back to the hotel to keep busy."

Andy was dialing Kathy's cell phone number as he said, "No, that's all right. I'm glad you did that for me. I'm going to need to get home as quickly as I can to talk to my wife." Kathy's cell phone went unanswered, so he left her a message. "Kathy, it's Andy. I have to talk to you. Please call me on my cell as soon as you get my message. I love you."

The events of the previous evening had all come back to Andy by this time, but there were things that he couldn't understand. "My wife, where did she come from? How did she just suddenly appear like that?" As much as he was asking Brenda these questions, he was also talking to himself. He couldn't understand how Kathy had appeared in his room.

Brenda shifted slightly, and said, "I think I know what happened. I asked the desk clerk about your wife having a key to the room, and he said that a trainee clerk had given her the key when she showed him her ID. The desk clerk had tried to stop him, but it'd been too late by then. They wouldn't normally give someone a key to a room when they're not a guest. He did hear her say that she had just flown in to surprise you."

Tears appeared in Andy's eyes as he said, "It was a surprise all right, for both of us. I wonder if she'll ever forgive me. I've never done anything like that since we've been married, and she has to walk in on it the one time I do. I feel so damned guilty!"

Brenda's facial expression became very serious, and she said "You aren't the only one feeling guilty. Everything that happened was my doing. Ever since I first met you I've had fantasies about being with you. When you agreed to have one last drink in your room it fed right into my fantasy, and I went ahead to make it come true. I'm not being boastful when I say that I know I can be pretty irresistible when I'm just in my underclothes." She gave a small chuckle.

"I had the option of saying no. It's what I should have done, in spite of how enticing you looked to me." Andy blinked away the tears in his eyes, and continued, "My wife isn't one to forgive easily, and I'm not really sure how she's going to handle this. She's always been a bit suspicious of me going on these out-of-town sales trips. She's quite insecure, and this is going to feed her insecurity big-time."

Brenda thought for a few moments, and said, "I could call her and explain what I did. I could make her understand that what happened wasn't something that you suggested."

"I doubt that she would believe you. In fact, I really doubt that she would even speak with you. As soon as you identified yourself as the other woman, I'm sure she would hang up on you. Thanks for the offer, though." Andy was attempting to sit up; as he intended to try and get out of the bed he was in, when a nurse walked in.

"Stay right there! Don't try to get up, Mr. Carlson. We are going to have to take a good look at you, to see if you have any brain injury. Just lie back and I'll go get the neurologist." The nurse checked the sensors attached to Andy before leaving the room.

Brenda came up to the bed, and took Andy by the hand. "I'm so sorry that things worked out this way. I don't really think there's much more I can do for you here, so I'm going to leave. I think I'll call in sick today, as I've been awake all night. Please call me if you think it would help for me to speak with your wife." She squeezed his hand before backing away and leaving the room.

Andy's spent another eight hours in that room before they would discharge him. It appeared that there was no damage done beyond the cut on the back of his head, a large lump, and a constant mild headache. They told him he should be fine to drive and by 3 p.m. he had finished packing his things into his car, and was ready to start his four hour drive home.

While he had been waiting in the hospital he had repeatedly tried to contact his wife, but had been unable to reach her. He left messages for her at home, at work and on her cell phone. Either she wasn't even in town, or she didn't want to speak with him. He assumed the latter.

He had also been forced to cancel the two sales meetings he had made appointments for the previous night. He knew getting home as quickly as he could was his top priority.

During some of his free time, while awaiting his discharge, he had opened his wife's overnight bag to see what was in it. The contents told him the story of why and how his wife had appeared in his hotel room. Inside of it he found the Victoria's Secret lingerie he had bought for her last birthday, along with her bath oils, some make up, and a change of clothes. On top of it all had been two receipts, one for a one-way flight from Indianapolis to Columbus, and the other for a taxi from their home to the airport. She had decided on the spur of the moment to join him for his last night of his road trip, obviously intending to drive home with him after a night of passion with her husband.

The drive home was uneventful, punctuated only by his repeated attempts to contact his wife. He had begun calling several of their friends, asking them if anyone knew where Kathy was. None of them had spoken to her, nor knew where she was, although his call to her best friend, Cindy Willis, was a bit strange. She wasn't her usual bubbly self, and in fact seemed rather abrupt with him. Even though she denied knowing where Kathy was, he wasn't sure he should believe her.

It was almost 7 p.m. when he pulled up at his home. The house was in darkness, and Kathy's car wasn't there. He carried in his suitcase, Kathy's travel bag, and his briefcase. He took his suitcase and the travel bag to the bedroom, and could immediately see that Kathy's half of the shared closet was only half filled. A quick check confirmed that a suitcase and her toiletries from the bathroom were also missing. It was obvious that Kathy had left their house, and Andy could only hope that he would be able to find her so that he could explain and ask for her forgiveness.

He quickly checked the whole house, and there was no sign of a note to explain where she had gone. He checked the answering machine and the only messages on it were his own. He erased the messages before beginning to call people in their address book who he felt might be able to help him track down Kathy. With one exception, no one seemed to know where she was, and all of them were surprised that he was looking for her. The exception was her sister Debbie.

When he got hold of Debbie, and identified himself, she called him a bastard, and hung up on him. When he tried to call her again, her line was constantly busy. He could only assume that Kathy had told her what had happened, and she now had her phone off the hook. If she lived closer he would have driven over to see her, but she lived almost an hour away.

His next call was another to her friend, Cindy, as he was pretty sure after his first call that she had spoken to Kathy. When she answered her voice was cheerfully enough, but when he asked, "Cindy, can you tell me where Kathy is," her voice became decidedly icy.

Andy sighed, and then said, "I know, Cindy. I have to talk to her, to explain what happened, and ask for her forgiveness."

There were muffled sounds on the phone, and Andy realized the two women were talking in the background. He couldn't hear what was said, but in a moment Cindy came back on the line.

"Kathy says she'll meet you at The Corral at nine o'clock."

The Corral was a local bar with a dance floor, a place that Andy and Kathy rarely went. Its atmosphere wasn't all that great, as it was known to be rather rough at times. "Why would she want to meet me there? I'd really like to just talk to her here, or at your place."

Again there were muffled words in the background, but shortly Cindy said, "It's there or not at all, Andy."

Andy knew he had to speak to her, so he said, "OK, if that's the way it has to be. Just tell her for me that I love her." There was a tone of resignation in Andy's voice, as he knew he would have to agree to anything she asked in order to see her as soon as he could.

"You have a strange way of showing her, Andy," Cindy said.

"I know, I know." Andy's voice caught as he said that, as Cindy's comment had really hit home with him. He said goodbye, and slowly hung up the phone.

There were still almost two hours before he was to meet Kathy, so he made himself a tasteless meal, showered, and put on fresh clothing. When he was done all that he still had time to spare, so he spent it thinking about what he would say to Kathy. By the time he was ready to leave for The Corral, he had convinced himself that he would be able to get Kathy to forgive him and come home with him.

Andy walked into The Corral precisely at nine o'clock. He looked around but didn't see Kathy anywhere, so he sat in an empty booth. He was sitting there looking at his hands, praying to himself that his talk with his wife would go well, when she suddenly slid into the seat across the table from him. The shock was evident on his face as he looked up at her.

"Where did you come from? I looked around, but I didn't see you anywhere." After the words had left his mouth he felt that that had not been the best way to start his conversation with her.

There is no smile on Kathy's face, as she said, "I just came from the bathroom. You wanted to talk to me so here I am."

"I've been trying all day to reach you, Kathy. I'm begging you to forgive me." There were tears forming in his eyes before he finished saying these few words.

"You were so anxious for me to forgive you that you took until this evening to bother coming back home? I guess once I caught you it meant that it was OK for you and your blond slut to get back to what I so rudely interrupted." Kathy practically spit out these words, and her eyes flashed in anger at him.

"Oh, no. It wasn't anything like that. I've been in hospital until three o'clock this afternoon. I cut my head, see." Andy turned his head and shifted in his seat so that Kathy could see the area where the hair had been shaved and an adhesive bandage covered the stitches in his scalp.

For the first time Kathy's face registered some concern. "What happened? How did you do that?"

Andy hesitated and looked down at his hands for a moment before raising his gaze to his wife, and saying, "When you threw your travel bag at me; I fell and hit my head on the end table. I was unconscious when they took me to the hospital, and they wouldn't let me leave until they tested me. It turns out that at the worst I may have a very mild concussion."

The look of concern was still on Kathy's face as she said, "I'm sorry for that. I didn't realize you had fallen down. All I could think of was you and that ... big boobed ... blond ... tramp, having sex right in front of me. I see that every time I close my eyes."

"I'm so sorry for that, Kathy. I've never done anything like that before, and to have you walk in right then..." He was a loss for words, and sat there trying to think of what else he could say.

The look of anger returned to Kathy's face as he spoke. "Don't try and tell me that was the first time. I just knew you were cheating on me when you went out on these road trips. I checked my Organizer at work, and I found 13 trips out of town that you had made, and that I had noted. I'm sure you've been cheating on me on all of those trips."

"It was the first time, Kathy! I've never done that before! You have to believe me. It just ... happened." Andy was looking around as if he was searching for the right words to use, words that would convinced her he was telling her the truth.